Meteor showers happen periodically all year. In fact, they happen so often that they overlap for significant percentages of the year. There are two times when three meteor showers will be active in October, for example. But a rarer feat is having two meteor showers that have their activity peak at the same time. The next time that’s happening is on July 29. 

The show will come courtesy of the Alpha Capricornids and Southern delta Aquariids meteor showers. The former begins on July 12 and runs through Aug. 12, with a peak of July 29. Southern delta Aquariids will start on July 28, peaks early on July 29, and then runs until Aug. 12 as well. That means for one evening, the two meteor showers are peaking at the same time, giving stargazers a much better chance at catching a shooting star. 

Of the two, the Southern delta Aquarids is typically the larger meteor shower, tossing upwards of 25 meteors per hour during its zenith. Alpha Capricornids is a lesser meteor shower, with about five per hour on average. Combined, they’ll output an estimated 30 per hour.

How to see the meteor showers

Since the meteors are coming from two different points in the sky, you would think spotting meteors from both would be difficult, but that is far from the truth. 

Alpha Capricornids, which hails from the 169P/NEAT comet, originates from the Capricornus constellation. It will rise from the eastern skies across the continental US around sunset and streak across the southern sky, setting in the western sky at sunrise. 

For the Southern delta Aquariids, its radiant — the point from which its meteors seem to originate — is the Aquarius constellation. Aquarius is right next to Capricornus. That means it also rises out of the eastern horizon, streaks across the southern sky, and sets in the western horizon around dawn. 

If you have trouble finding either of them, Stellarium’s free sky map will help you hunt them down. Set the time, date and location, and you’re off to the races. Once you find one, the other one is essentially right there next to it. 

Tips on spotting shooting stars

As per the norm, the tips here are the same as they are for the aurora borealis and planet parades. Light pollution and weather are your two biggest enemies. Since you can only do anything about one of those, let’s focus on light pollution. You’ll want to drive as far away from the city and suburbs as possible, as the light pollution will make it difficult to see the dimmer meteors. The further away you are, the better, as even suburban light pollution can obfuscate most meteors. 

Once out there, you just have to sit and wait. Since the constellations will move across the south as you watch, you may have to rotate your chair if you’re out there for a while. Otherwise, a pair of binoculars may help. Telescopes aren’t recommended, as it obscures your field of view and may actively obstruct your ability to see meteors. 

A VR headset doesn’t need to break the bank. CNET’s Scott Stein praised the Meta Quest 3S as an affordable entry point into mixed reality — «by far the best value in VR,» he said. On Prime Day, it’s an even better bargain. Right now, you can get the Meta Quest 3S 128GB for $249. That’s its all-time low and $51 less than its normal price. It includes the Gorilla Tag Cardboard Hero bundle and three months of Meta Horizon Plus (an ever-growing collection of games), a value of $45.

What’s more, if you want to scoop up the Meta Quest 3S with 256GB storage, you can save $71, as it’s down to $329 on Amazon right now. Not only that, but it includes a free copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and three months of Meta Horizon Plus, which has an added value of $70.

While the Meta Quest 3 is undoubtedly the better headset, the Quest 3S isn’t as far behind as you might think. It’s still a top pick for the best VR headset and features the same internal hardware as the Quest 3, so you won’t be limiting your game or app selection. It also has some solid capabilities in mixed reality, letting you blend real-world video and VR graphics, similar to Apple’s much more expensive Vision Pro.

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The Quest 3S even has improved hand-tracking abilities in low-light settings. However, the 3S features the same lenses and LCD found on the previous-gen Quest 2, which means the visuals won’t be quite as crisp and detailed.

If you’ve been shocked by the $3,499 price tag on the Apple Vision Pro, the Quest 3S is a great option. Meta makes some of the best VR headsets on the market, and the Quest 3S is no exception. Don’t miss your last chance to get this deal.

Why this deal matters

The Meta Quest 3S is one of the best headsets on the market right now, and it’s an affordable way to start exploring the VR world. We’ve seen occasional gift card offers in the past, but straightforward discounts are rarer. A few months back, we saw this for $30 off, but the current price cuts are the lowest we’ve seen. With tariff concerns and potential price increases on tech, this is a great deal if you want to pick up an affordable VR headset.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to upgrade your gaming space, Prime Day is here for you. Among the many sales on laptops and TVs we’ve seen already, you can also find a ton of great deals on accessories as well.

With Prime Day in its final day of a four-day run, Amazon has slashed a wide array of Razer gaming products up to 50% off, and nearly everything is at least 20% off. Set your sights on these price-busters:

• Kishi Ultra Gaming Controller for Android, iPhone, iPad, $100 ($50 off)
• BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless Xbox Gaming Headset, $142 ($58 off)
• BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless PlayStation Gaming Headset, $150 ($50 off)
• Quick Charging Stand for PlayStation 5, $20 ($20 off)

There are a bunch of goodies here, but let’s focus on the Razer Kishi Ultra Gaming Controller. It’s compatible with Android, the iPhone 15 and 16 Series, and the iPad Mini A17 Pro and 6. You can fit it in your pocket for gaming on the go, and Razer touts its «esports grade performance and comfort» for use with phones and the iPad mini. It’s been a bit hit with gamers — more than 700 consumers bought this controller in the past month and performance reviews are off the charts.

Or maybe you’re tempted by the BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless Xbox Gaming Headset, with a detachable mic that is so next-gen «that every shotcall sounds clear, rich, and natural,» according to Razer. It’s got a 70-hour battery life and 2.4GHz wireless connection.

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Why this deal matters

Performance is huge in gaming. How we hear, see and speak — as well as press and toggle — in the heat of battle matters. You can basically re-outfit your entire suite of gaming accessories right now for way less than you could post-Prime Day. Don’t blow this.